Yule Vision: Tree Upright, Surrounded By Poinsettias

HOMESTYLE

Why is it the Christmas tree that looked so perfect in the lot looks so lopsided in the stand?

Call it Murphy's Yuletide Law. Even if the tree is perfect, it takes a family fight to make it look straight in the unwieldy tree stand.

Say goodbye to the bickering. Now you can even set up the tree by yourself. County Time Limited, the Cleveland company that brought us the Interplak toothbrush and the WingSong bird feeder with sound monitor, promises to end family feuds with Swivel Straight, a Christmas tree stand that allows you to straighten the tree without stooping or crawling.

The stand consists of two parts - a trunk receptacle and a swivel base. Merely press the foot pedal and swivel the base until the tree is straight. Push the foot pedal into the base and the tree is locked in place. The stand, made of green rust-proof polymers, will support trees as tall as 12 feet with 53/4-inch trunks. The price of family peace? $89.95.

The stands will be available during the holiday at selected Luria's stores. For more information, call 1-800-692-2656.

Jazzing up decorations

By the time you bake the cookies, plan the meals, write the holiday cards, shop and wrap the presents, you're lucky if you have enough energy to put up the tree.

Creative holiday decorations? They're for the people who have time to painstakingly decorate their homes for every season. But do-it-yourself decorating doesn't have to be a headache, according to suggestions in the minutes & pennies Decorating newsletter. Editor Jenny Walicek suggests the following:

Jazz up double front doors with miniature trees. Split a polystyrene cone vertically, cover with green moss and insert a short stick for the trunk. Decorate with small ornaments or post earrings.

Gift-wrapped boxes can add a festive look for pennies. Wrap them with brown postal or white butcher paper. Tie them with lace, strips of fabric, ribbon or raffia. Apply accents, such as gilded pine cones, with a hot glue gun.

String white lights on houseplants.

Use bargain-table netting, gauze or tulle to decorate the tree. But make sure to keep the fabric away from hot lights.

Decorate the table with a gold sprayed popcorn tree or star-shaped pasta, burrs or acorns.

Poinsettia is non-toxic

Pity the poor poinsettia.

It's pretty. It makes the perfect holiday decoration. But, according to a recent national poll, half of us still believe that it's toxic.

The poll of 1,000 adults, conducted by Bruskin/Golding for the Society of American Florists, showed that more women than men believe the myth and those 25 to 49 believe it more than those 50 and older.

POISINDEX, the information resource used by the majority of U.S. posion control centers, says that a 50-pound child would have to eat more than 1.25 pounds of poinsettia bracts or 500 to 600 leaves to exceed the experimental doses that found no toxicity. They do cause minor stomach discomfort; milk or ice cream is the recommended remedy.

It's still a good idea to keep poinsettias away from curious pets and children. And away from hot or cold drafts. Water it so the soil is moist but not soggy and make sure it's in a room with enough natural light so you can read without turning on the lamp.